The longest railway bridge which is being constructed only 300 meters away from Jamuna Bridge over the Jamuna River in Tangail is now completely visible. All the spans of the bridge have been installed. Ninety-four percent work of the bridge has already been completed.
The work at the east side of the bridge in Bhuapur Upazila of Tangail is completely done. The work at the west side of the bridge in Sirajganj end is nearing to be complete as well. Besides, modernization work of the east and west station of the bridge is also in the last phase.
Project Director (PD) Al Fattah Md Masudur Rahman said the work of the under construction rail bridge has already 94 percent completed. Moreover, the construction cost is not increasing. The work of polishing and colouring is going on. Hopefully, it can be inaugurated in December of this year. With that goal, work is being done at a fast pace in day and night.
The project sources said the railway bridge is being constructed in a way that along with normal trains, high-speed trains will also be able to move through the bridge. As a result, trains will be able to cross the bridge at a maximum speed of 250 km per hour. However, at the beginning (in the first year of the inauguration), trains will move at a speed of 100 km to 120 km.
The project was taken in December, 2016. The construction cost of the railway bridge, including the preparation of the final design, was estimated at Tk 9,734 crore and 7 lakh. Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) was supposed to give a loan of Tk 7,724 crores and 33 lakh to construct the largest rail bridge of the country. After the first round revision of the DPP, the construction cost was increased by Tk 7,047 crores and stood at Tk 16,780 crores and 96 lakh.
Along with the parallel dual gauge and double-track of the railway bridge, 0.05 km viaduct, 7.667 km railway approach embankment and railway line with loop and siding will be constructed on both sides of the 4.80 km railway bridge. Along with the railway line, gas transmission line of the bridge was also constructed in the project.
